Pay by state · 54 areas
Personal Care Aide Salary by State (2026)
Personal Care Aides earn the most in Washington at $47,730 a year and the least in Louisiana at $22,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $35,800. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $47,730Washington
- National median
- $35,800BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $22,520Louisiana
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for personal care aides
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Washington$47,730
- 2Oregon$44,410
- 3Rhode Island$43,680
- 4District of Columbia$42,700
- 5Vermont$41,600
Lowest median pay
- 1Louisiana$22,520
- 2Mississippi$23,860
- 3Texas$24,230
- 4Arkansas$27,660
- 5Oklahoma$27,710
All states
Personal Care Aide salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of personal care aides OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $47,730 | $44,620 | $48,630 | 103,260 | $44,602 |
| 2 | OROregon | $44,410 | $39,400 | $48,360 | 42,330 | $42,966 |
| 3 | RIRhode Island | $43,680 | $38,470 | $45,690 | 7,490 | $42,706 |
| 4 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $42,700 | $40,050 | $43,270 | 12,810 | $38,853 |
| 5 | VTVermont | $41,600 | $36,120 | $46,410 | 7,700 | $42,467 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $40,910 | $39,650 | $43,740 | 117,940 | $38,683 |
| 7 | AKAlaska | $39,740 | $36,640 | $44,340 | 6,530 | $38,824 |
| 8 | NYNew York | $39,620 | $38,660 | $43,780 | 663,140 | $36,712 |
| 9 | NDNorth Dakota | $39,440 | $37,110 | $45,800 | 7,730 | $44,335 |
| 10 | CTConnecticut | $38,990 | $35,510 | $44,240 | 49,510 | $37,632 |
| 11 | NHNew Hampshire | $38,760 | $36,190 | $45,270 | 9,440 | $37,210 |
| 12 | MEMaine | $38,580 | $36,580 | $43,660 | 18,630 | $39,753 |
| 13 | COColorado | $38,540 | $37,130 | $43,360 | 44,650 | $37,399 |
| 14 | MNMinnesota | $38,370 | $36,600 | $43,830 | 128,680 | $38,907 |
| 15 | HIHawaii | $38,110 | $35,730 | $43,580 | 6,150 | $34,661 |
| 16 | ILIllinois | $38,060 | $36,810 | $38,700 | 134,100 | $38,076 |
| 17 | MDMaryland | $38,040 | $35,490 | $43,150 | 46,560 | $36,243 |
| 18 | SDSouth Dakota | $37,740 | $36,400 | $43,600 | 4,210 | $42,603 |
| 19 | NJNew Jersey | $37,090 | $34,680 | $44,580 | 117,080 | $34,089 |
| 20 | MTMontana | $36,630 | $31,100 | $43,120 | 10,400 | $38,703 |
| 21 | KYKentucky | $36,440 | $30,950 | $45,450 | 31,260 | $40,417 |
| 22 | AZArizona | $36,420 | $33,570 | $38,620 | 74,540 | $36,175 |
| 23 | WIWisconsin | $36,340 | $30,550 | $38,450 | 82,430 | $38,621 |
| 24 | NENebraska | $36,150 | $34,270 | $38,570 | 13,660 | $40,121 |
| 25 | IAIowa | $36,080 | $33,570 | $39,630 | 25,800 | $41,111 |
| 26 | UTUtah | $35,880 | $33,850 | $38,830 | 17,130 | $36,292 |
| 27 | INIndiana | $35,060 | $31,030 | $36,680 | 57,050 | $37,566 |
| 28 | MIMichigan | $35,000 | $30,560 | $37,040 | 95,020 | $36,376 |
| 29 | IDIdaho | $34,790 | $29,360 | $37,180 | 20,770 | $36,432 |
| 30 | OHOhio | $34,460 | $30,140 | $36,690 | 106,940 | $37,144 |
| 31 | CACalifornia | $34,320 | $34,320 | $36,550 | 970,150 | $30,997 |
| 32 | DEDelaware | $34,320 | $31,200 | $37,350 | 11,820 | $34,386 |
| 33 | FLFlorida | $33,800 | $31,540 | $35,880 | 90,170 | $32,684 |
| 34 | NVNevada | $33,670 | $29,050 | $34,880 | 17,940 | $33,677 |
| 35 | WYWyoming | $33,190 | $30,210 | $37,290 | 3,410 | $35,807 |
| 36 | MOMissouri | $33,080 | $28,600 | $37,060 | 94,810 | $36,425 |
| 37 | TNTennessee | $32,130 | $29,920 | $35,280 | 35,950 | $34,973 |
| 38 | KSKansas | $31,260 | $29,240 | $35,250 | 25,350 | $34,707 |
| 39 | NCNorth Carolina | $31,240 | $28,400 | $35,520 | 58,880 | $33,119 |
| 40 | VAVirginia | $30,300 | $28,420 | $35,860 | 70,070 | $29,969 |
| 41 | SCSouth Carolina | $30,110 | $27,960 | $33,960 | 40,750 | $32,118 |
| 42 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $29,860 | $28,690 | $31,130 | 110 | N/A |
| 43 | PAPennsylvania | $29,420 | $28,390 | $34,430 | 257,370 | $30,152 |
| 44 | GAGeorgia | $29,270 | $27,140 | $34,870 | 50,870 | $30,397 |
| 45 | NMNew Mexico | $28,520 | $26,970 | $30,730 | 38,910 | $30,929 |
| 46 | WVWest Virginia | $28,010 | $23,540 | $29,350 | 18,890 | $31,297 |
| 47 | ALAlabama | $27,840 | $26,190 | $30,170 | 20,930 | $31,343 |
| 48 | OKOklahoma | $27,710 | $25,750 | $30,250 | 20,310 | $31,545 |
| 49 | ARArkansas | $27,660 | $26,230 | $29,250 | 19,840 | $31,816 |
| 50 | GUGuam | $26,500 | $22,460 | $31,300 | 100 | N/A |
| 51 | TXTexas | $24,230 | $22,820 | $27,520 | 329,590 | $24,965 |
| 52 | MSMississippi | $23,860 | $23,070 | $27,300 | 21,800 | $27,440 |
| 53 | LALouisiana | $22,520 | $20,800 | $27,090 | 45,060 | $25,531 |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $21,840 | $21,840 | $22,480 | 10,170 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For personal care aides, the adjustment does not change the leader: Washington is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $44,602.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Personal Care Aide pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays personal care aides the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for personal care aides at $47,730 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Oregon ($44,410) and Rhode Island ($43,680).
Which state pays personal care aides the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Louisiana reports the lowest median for personal care aides at $22,520 a year, $25,210 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $29,860, Guam reports $26,500 and Puerto Rico reports $21,840.
Is the highest-paying state the best for personal care aides after cost of living?
Yes. Washington stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $44,602 in national-average dollars from a raw $47,730. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.